Our Family.......

More chick pics......

I can't believe I forgot this!!! 

You know how you are in a hurry in the morning......

How you can't decide what shoes to wear..............

You think, and try on..............................

Hold one leg up with this shoe............no.........not quite.

Now try on another and hold the other leg up.....................................

Here, but for the grace of God, goes ANY  of us: 

Yep.

Right there in the mall.  At the Food Court.

A very nicely dressed woman.......with two different shoes on. 

In public.

 

I feel SO much better about what I was wearing....

 

Girls Gone Wild......

  We had the best weekend......

We had "girl time" in Tulsa.  Charlene graciously invited us to Tulsa for the Miss Outstanding Oklahoma Teen pageant, that our friend Britney Bisel was supposed to be in (didn't turn out that way - long story).  So Charlene, Ev, Grandma, Tera, Shell and I trekked to Tulsa for some much needed girl time!

We ate at great places....

Maddy was entertaining the ladies at one end of the table.....

While Kendell was receiving an anonymous phone call at the other end of the table......

 Wait just a second..........  That's not "anonymous"........     Shell was playing tricks!!  Kendell was just talking away when she realized that it was coming from across the table.  That was fun.

 

We shopped..........

 

 

And shopped..........

We shopped for new shoes........

 

We shopped for earrings with "real diamonds"! 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma wanted to get her belly button pierced, but we talked her out of it.

 

We shopped til we dropped.

Then we went home (to Charlene's house).

And Kendell wanted to write Chad a letter.

So they wrote Chad.  He wrote her back the next morning!  She was thrilled. 

Of course, she didn't actually WRITE, her trusty secretary typed while she.. Er... "dictated" the memo.

 

Then some of us took a bath.....

Because shopping is a dirty job, but SOMEBODY'S got to do it..!!

 

 

And we had so much fun together!  I am SO glad we did that.  We should do it more often.

And I'm really grateful to have family.  That I LOVE spending time with. 

Thanks guys!

 

 

Makeovers.....

is week has had some really great "makeovers".  I was thinking about it this morning when I was outside working a little, so I thought I'd put a couple in pictures!!

I LOVE this little planter.  But after the recent NON-STOP hail storms.  It's....time to retire it. 

 

 

 

Problem.  Have any of you SEEN one of these in the last year or so???  No???

Lowe's doesn't have them.  WalMart doesn't have them.  Target, Home Depot, KMart, or anywhere you can think of, does NOT carry them. 

And what a nifty little invention it is. 

So..............necessity IS the mother of invention, right?  Hmmmmmmm.  What could I do.??

 

Well........

 

Howdy. 

 

I'm getting an idea...........

 

Well.  It's not real "purty" on the inside, but hey, it's all I can come up with.

 

And I love having flowers on the patio. 

 

 

Well......that looks pretty good!

 

 

 

 

All done.

 

 

 

 

 

Now that's much better.

Good old American ingenuity. 

And speaking of makeovers.....  I have been taking mom to several doctor appointments lately.  Yesterday we went to have extensions put on the nephrostomy tubes at the hospital.  She's tired of being sick (and I don't blame her) and she's tired of doctor appointments (me too).  The place she goes on Tuesday's for her shot is DEPRESSING. 

So anyway, she wanted her hair cut.  I know she'd like me to do it, but I just don't feel as good about cutting it as I once did.  So we looked for somewhere fast to have it cut and came across this really great chick at WalMart.  I know, who'd a thunk it.  So we went there and before mom went in, I took the hairdresser aside and explained how mom had been sick and everything and told her what she wanted.  But also, she would need to show her how to style it.  This is the part where I think I was left by the stork on the doorstep.  As much as I love fashion and clothes and all the girlie stuff, my mom has never really had that knack.  Except for shoes.  Okay.  Maybe I'm hers after all.

I wish I had a before pic, but here's the after: 

What an improvement!  She loved it too.

Really.  She did.

There are just some days......

Thanks from my Aunt Charlene for the funny clip. 

Some parts hit a little close, don't they girls????

Gynecologist's Office

I know it's been awhile.....

and I've been SOOOO busy, but here's a link for a laugh.  He posts a monthly "roundup" of mug shots and some are HILARIOUS!

mugshot roundup

I'll post really soon!!

The most amazing man.....

Please........take just a minute to view this.  He is the most amazing person.  He never meant to have all the fame that he has acquired in the last six months, though in my opinion he's worth every bit of it. 

The end is spectacular.

Until I can format the HTML and put it HERE, you'll have to click on one of these.   Be patient, it might take a minute to load.

abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4883908

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/pausch-inspires-class-of-08/220289718://

My family.....

I love them so. 

After the last couple of weeks, all I can think of is the verse:

"They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone. "(Numbers 11:17) NIV

Because that's EXACTLY the way that I feel.  My load has definitely been lightened because of my family.  And I am so grateful.

I mean, what's not to love here??!!

You have to admit, you either smile or die of embarassment with this crowd. 

They're pretty comfortable wherever they go.  And I'm glad.

And, even though I understand it's pretty rare, I actually LIKE my in-laws.  They have been very, VERY good to me.  To us.  And we include them in everything.  We just like to be around them.

Mom is getting better by the day and supposed to be released next Monday.  Hooray!!  I'll still have to take care of her some, but her house is much, much closer!

It's a pretty depressing place, and after this many weeks, I'm quite certain that I NEVER want to be in here. 

I took a really little birthday cake so mom could share in Shell's birthday.  Maybe she won't feel so left out of everything.  After all, I wouldn't want to miss my granddaughter's birthday.  Or spend my Mother's Day in this place. 

It was a good day.

Hooray for Birthdays and Mother's Day and God's healing!

  Now...this picture will take a little 'splaining. 

See...Ray was trying to entertain the kids (only plausible explanation) and he tried putting a birthday candle in his nose.

So, being his daughter and not one to pass up on an idiot stunt, Shell lit it. 

Then he  spent the next 10 minutes begging her to pick the hot wax out of his beard.

Birthday candles.....99 cents.

Cake ............$3.00

Husband that will put a lit candle in his nose to cheer me up...... priceless.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

From the minute this child was born, she has brought light into my life.

And today is her birthday!  What a wonderful day....what seems like a long time ago, and then again just yesterday. 

I spent all day in labor, then you were born at exactly 7:04 p.m.  7 lbs., 7 oz., of pink, perfect baby girl.

Worth every last minute.  I LOVED being pregnant.  Heartburn and all.  I carried you so high, I had heartburn for four straight weeks.  I think this was taken the week that I had you. 

(Shell - quit making fun of the glasses)

What a privilege it's been to be your Mom and Dad. 

This is a pic of you and Michael at Grandma's in Okeene.  I remember how disappointed you were when you guys could no longer take a bath together.  But the boys are 2 and 4 years older and they outgrew it long before you did. 

You guys had so much fun.  When you were 2 you could tell the difference in cattle.  "Shar-ways" and "Ho-steens" and a "wong-horns" or two.  You loved the farm, and one of your favorite things was to ride the lawn mower or 4-wheeler with one of the boys.  Grandpa would always tell you "you're going to run the cattle into anemia!!".  (They recognized the sound of the four wheeler and would try to chase it because that's how they got special food).

You were such a good kid.  Even the teen years, though sometimes difficult, were really pretty easy.  I have been amazed and in awe of all you have accomplished.  Self-motivated and responsible, we could always trust your judgment.

And I'm so proud of the amazing young woman you've become.  And I thank God for every day of your life. 

"you are my  magic moment tied in a pink bow".

Happy Birthday Shell!!

p.s.  I know this picture is a little old, but I like it and it's my blog.  Besides...wait til you see tomorrow's post.  THOSE pictures aren't so flattering.....

Gratitude.....

Have you ever wanted a really simple way to thank a soldier?  One you do or don't know.....sometimes when you just pass in a public place or in a restaurant?  This is short and totally worth your time.....

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php

My week so far......

I got this call on my cell phone yesterday that was a wrong number.  I tell her so and hang up on her. Then the idiot starts texting me.  She’s “Kim from the line”.  Whatever THAT means.  Shell and I are on our way home from Wal-Mart and very tired and getting a little goofy, so we text her back. 

For the "text challenged" this might be hard to read....(inlaws who shall remain nameless) but just sound it out.  And "po-po" is police. 

Hey, I figure if you have the guts to mess with me during the last two weeks of the school year, you get what you deserve. 

She starts up with "This is Kim from the line".  (no kidding, I just hung up on you.)

I reply “what up”

She sends something about “not me, lol, what about you?”

So I send back – “U no.  Keepin way from da po-po”

At this point Michelle is ready to lay an egg.  So she texts me back – “I’m not in trouble because I don’t have time”

So I say “ Do you like bad boyz?”

She says “of course”

Then today the idiot texts me again, so I told her “when I git da welfare check we’re goin out on da town!”

She texts:  “I don’t get a welfare check”

I said “sweet!  U can sprt me then!”

She texts “I don’t think so”

I text:  “how old are u  N.E. way?”

She says “33.  and you?”

I said “56.  Is that a problem?”

She quit texting me.